Table of contents: 1. What do you need to do to connect two monitors to a PC 2. How to configure two monitors
What do you need to do to connect two monitors to a PC
An external monitor is connected to the system unit or laptop via GPU output. To connect two displays, it is necessary that the GPU can give a signal through at least two outputs. Almost all graphics cards released since 2005 have two or more connectors for connecting an external monitor. On laptops, as a rule, there is only one connector, but at the same time the display of the laptop itself can serve as the second monitor in this case.
To connect monitors there are normally used DVI, VGA and HDMI (various versions) connectors. On modern laptop models, the USB Type C or Thunderbolt connector can also be used to transfer information to an external monitor. Due to the outdated VGA technology, the user may encounter a situation where it is impossible to connect a monitor due to the lack of a corresponding connector on the GPU. Adapters like HDMI-VGA, which are easy to purchase, will help in this situation.
It is recommended to connect the monitor to the PC while the computer is turned off in order to minimize possible risks of overvoltage and burnout in the process.
How to configure two monitors
Most often when the system unit is connected to the monitor in the Windows operating system, all necessary settings will be made automatically. Accordingly, immediately after booting the system, both screens will work, and the user will only have to set up the monitor operation mode. There are three options for a PC on Windows:
- Repetition (duplication). With this setting, the screens will be displaying one same image. But here it is important to note the fact that there can be a blurred image on the second monitor if its resolution does not match the resolution of the first monitor;
- Expand the image. With this setting, the second screen will be a continuation of the first one. That is, the user has twice the work space, which can be convenient in some situations;
- Image on one screen only. It is possible that the image will be displayed only on the computer screen or only on the second connected monitor by default.
The operation of two monitors is managed differently on modern Windows 10 and earlier versions of the operating system. Let’s see how to configure two monitors in different versions of Windows:
- Windows 7. Start the “Control Panel” and select “Display” in the list of sections. Next, go to the screen resolution settings and select the desired monitor mode in the “Multiple displays” drop-down menu. If the “Extend these displays” mode is configured, it is possible that the system will incorrectly determine which of the monitors is on the left and which is on the right. In this case, you need to select the left monitor in the “Display” drop-down list and click the “Set as display 1” button to display the image correctly;
- Windows 8 and Windows 10. In Windows 8 and Windows 10 operating systems, to customize the operation of monitors, you need to press the Windows + P combination on the keyboard. After that, a menu will appear to the right and in this menu you can select the desired image projection option.
Faced with the situation of the wrong screen expansion, you need to go to the system settings. To do this, click on the Windows keyboard + I and select the “System” section. Further in the “Screen” subsection, specify the monitor that is physically located on the left as the main one.
Please note that if the image on the monitor appears blurry, you must also select the correct resolution in the screen settings.
It should be noted that some GPU manufacturers produce their own software, which allows you to customize the work of two monitors on your computer. If you have such software, you can use it to customize the screens; most often it is more functional than the standard settings in Windows.